​SOUTHPORT, England — The parched, sun-seared links of Royal Birkdale look and feel like a yellow brick road. There will be a golfing wizard at the end of it come Sunday too.It’s running so fast, the eventual champion will probably get three points on his license as well as the Claret Jug. But forget about crisply struck golf balls thundering along the rock hard fairways. The time hurtles along as well.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJustin Rose is well aware of that. It’s 28 years now since the Englishman propelled himself to prominence when he chipped in on the 72nd hole on his way to a thrilling share of fourth as a teenage amateur in the 1998 Open here at Royal Birkdale.“It feels like a long, long, long time ago,” smiled Rose with the kind of reflection that could’ve been accompanied by the nostalgic brass band music from the old Hovis bread advert. “This is the third time I’ve been back to Birkdale since ’98. Obviously, it’s always going to be a special place for me.“It’s always going to bring back those memories of that kid chipping in and all the magical feelings I experienced that week of the crowd getting behind me. A true underdog story.“The fact that it was my last event as an amateur, holing that shot to seal off my amateur career, was as cool a moment as I could have had.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWe all remember what happened next don’t we? During a torrid introduction to the cut-and-thrust of professional life on tour, Rose missed his first 21 cuts in a row.Justin Rose signs autographs alongside the practice green after a practice round ahead of the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.“I never wanted to regret having holed that shot (in The Open),” added Rose. “But I think that shot made my transition into pro golf a little bit harder just from an expectation point of view. A bunch of missed cuts into it, I felt like I had to take stock, and I had to really evaluate who I was, what my goals were and how realistic they might be. I had to separate myself from the result at The Open Championship, put a clear head on my shoulders, grind through and realise a career is a long time. It wasn’t like The Open was the only thing I could hinge my future on. I said to myself, ‘right, you’re a talented golfer, you couple that with hard work and just stick at it’.”And stick at it he did. Here in 2026, Rose remains one of the best in the business as he approaches his 46th birthday.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAlmost 30 years on from his Open debut, Rose is still playing in it which is a wonderful testament to his talent, longevity, work ethic and perseverance. He’s been a world No 1, he’s won a U.S. Open, he’s had numerous close shaves in the other majors, he’s won Olympic gold and he’s become a talisman of many a European Ryder Cup team. It’s not been a bad old career.“Twenty-eight years later I’m still playing in The Open Championship,” said Rose. “That is sti